(Clearwisdom.net) September 2, 2004 was the last day for Republican
National Convention and a peak day because President Bush would be the featured
speaker. It was reported that several thousands delegates were at the
convention. We obtained a permit to hold public awareness activities in front of
the Hilton Hotel, where senior leaders of the Republican Party and media
reporters stayed.
Several of us agreed to arrive at the hotel at 10 am. I arrived a little early and stood on sidewalk to wait for them. Seeing people arriving and departing from the hotel in formal attire, I regretted that I did not dress in more formal clothing.
At 10:30 am, the other practitioners arrived. Three of us stood on a street corner and one US practitioner distributed flyers. A Chinese practitioner held a poster reading, "Help stop the persecution of Falun Gong in China". I sat down to send forth righteous thoughts and practice the fifth set of the exercises.
The effect of our truth-clarification was good. About 40% of passersby said that they had our flyers. Some said, "You have done a good job. We can see you every day. Keep going. Good luck!" Some said, "Thank you for telling us the information. How can we help you?"
A gentleman who currently worked in Beijing answered questions in fluent Chinese, "I know Falun Gong very well. The Chinese government has done a very bad thing. I wish you success. Keep going."
By chance, we met the former governor of New Jersey, who accepted our truth-clarification materials.
In the afternoon, we practiced across the street from the hotel, and almost everyone entering or coming out of the hotel saw our banner and exercise demonstration. They encouraged us with thumbs up.
A practitioner also met the host of the Republican National Convention and he said he would sit down to talk with us. The truth-clarification activity obtained support from police. After our arrival, police designated a place in front of the hotel for us. A practitioner who applied for the permit in New York said that the application for the location at 72nd Avenue and Broadway was not approved, but after explaining the facts to police the permit was granted and the $45 application fee was waived. Several police officers expressed the desire to learn Falun Gong from us.
In the evening, as we were about to leave, and were standing on a corner waiting for a practitioner's car. A group of reporters from CNN passed by and we talked with them. We asked, "Have you noticed Falun Gong practitioners have been everywhere in Manhattan during the Republican National Convention? Why don't you report about us?" A reporter answered, "We reported earlier on our international channel. Didn't you see it?" He said that the persecution had lasted for several years and they knew about us.
We wished they really knew and understood us better.
